Mood, Music, and Mistletoe
by lisa2302
Summary: Christmas with Nathan and Haley. Future Fic.
1. Joy to the World

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Nathan, Haley, or anything WB related  
**Notes: **This is pure fluff. I was listening to a Christmas CD and got the idea for this story.

**Mood, Music, and Mistletoe**  
Christmas Eve with Nathan and Haley

_Chapter 1 - Joy To The World_

"Okay, guys, it's time for bed," Haley said picking three month old Samuel up from his pallet.

"Mom, can't we stay up, please. He'll be here anytime and I want to see him."

"He won't come if you're awake, Adam. Didn't your dad explain that to you?"

"No. He said Santa wants cookies, but I already knew that." Haley eyed Nathan, who was sitting comfortably in the recliner across the room, he was supposed to have explained all of this to them yesterday while she was out doing last minute shopping.

"Well, he won't come unless you're sleeping."

"Why not?" Michael asked from his spot on the couch.

Nathan watched in amusement as he wife tried to explain Santa Clause and all of his weird habits to their six and four year old sons.

"Because it's supposed to be a surprise."

"What is? We already know he's coming with presents," Adam countered.

"But you don't know what they are."

"They'll be wrapped." Haley sighed in frustration. She knew this was an exciting time for her children and she loved watching them run around so incredibly happy, but they were completely wearing her out. Nathan, noticing just how frustrated his wife was getting, intervened.

"What your mom is trying to say is that if your awake, you'll get less presents." "Why?" Michael questioned. Nathan closed the recliner and scooped his middle son into his arms.

"Because if you're awake, then Santa's going to want to talk to you and that gives him less time to unload all of your presents."

"He has all night." Adam responded.

"To visit all the kids in the world, Adam. If you want to wait up, then that's fine, but he's not going to have time to give you all your presents, especially the big ones. You know, like the bicycle you wrote to him about. It's up to you."

"Fine." Nathan watched as his oldest son slowly made his way upstairs. Haley watched as well and then turned to Nathan and smiled.

"Thank you." Nathan walked across the room to his wife and kissed her cheek before taking Michael upstairs.

He walked into the room that his two oldest children shared and found Adam already curled up in bed.

"Did you brush your teeth?"

"Yes."

"Adam."

"Fine."

Adam threw the blankets off him and stomped across the hall to the bathroom. Nathan followed and set Michael on his stool in front of the sink before reaching in the medicine cabinet for the toothpaste.

"Red or Blue?"

"Blue," Michael replied quickly.

"I don't care." Adam pouted.

"If you want to go downstairs and wait for Santa, I'm not going to stop you, but you have to stop this pouting. Just because you can't see Santa doesn't mean that you can't still be excited that he's coming. Now, red or blue."

"Blue." He answered quietly.

The boys finished brushing their teeth and Nathan tucked them each into bed.

"I'll see you guys in the morning."

"Night dad," they echoed and Nathan couldn't help but smile. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine the best feeling in his life to come from being a father, but it had and he was grateful for it every single day.

As he was walking down the hall, he heard Haley's voice streaming from the nursery and he felt his heart warm. He stood in the doorway and watched as she leaned over the crib, rubbing their youngest son's back. She looked and sounded like an angel. He really was a lucky guy.

When Samuel was finally asleep, Haley looked up to find her husband staring at her.

"What?"

"Nothing. What were you singing?"

"Joy to the World."

"That's a good one and you sounded beautiful."

Haley smiled sheepishly. She'd been married to Nathan for almost thirteen years, but he still had the ability to charm the pants off of her. "Thank you."

"So how about that present you promised me?" He said with a twinkle in his eye.

"We'll get there." She snaked her fingers through his and they walked down the stairs together.

-----

Read & Review Please


	2. Baby, It's Cold Outside

_Thank you all for the reviews. I'm glad you enjoy the fluff and the story takes place Christmas Eve and then Christmas Day as well. _

**Chapter 2**  
_Baby, It's Cold Outside_

Haley was in the living room cleaning up the boys' mess while Nathan was in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner. The thought of it all made her smile. When she first met Nathan, she never figured him to be the domesticated type. He was so cocky, arrogant, and self-absorbed that she would never would have guessed he would grow up to be a family man, much less hers.

"Did you see Michael's chair?" Nathan asked walking into the living room. "I swear half of his mashed potatoes are on it."

"He does it all the time. Adam did it too."

"I know you say it's normal, but..."

"It is. Do you want me to clean it?" She asked as she folded Samuel's blanket.

"That's not the point. I just don't think we should let them throw their food around everywhere."

"We don't and we had this discussion when Adam did it. It's for attention, Nate. If we don't make a big deal about it, he'll stop."

"There's not a better way?"

"Maybe, but I don't think it's a big deal."

"Tell that to my dad when Michael ruins his dining room set at dinner tomorrow."

Haley smiled at Nathan's last comment. She should have realized this had nothing to do with Michael. "Everything's going to be fine," she promised coming to his side.

"I don't know why he insisted on having the dinner at his house. Between our family, Lucas, Brooke, and their kids, it's going to be a disaster."

"It worked out last year."

"Karen was there."

"I know," Haley replied sadly, "Which, I'm guessing is why he's so insistent on having it again this year. He's changed Nathan. I know you can't forget what he's done to you. No one can, but he loves you and he's really trying to make it a nice day."

Nathan smiled and kissed the top of his wife's head. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Always make everything better."

"I don't. I just see the best in everything and you, my darling, tend to see the worse." Haley pulled her husband into a loving embrace. She loved the feel of his body against hers; their three sons were a testament to that.

"I'm going to get some wood for the fire."

"I put your shoes in the back room."

"I don't need them." Haley stared. "What? It'll take two seconds."

"Baby, it's cold outside. If you get sick, how am I supposed to give you your present?"

"Bribery is wrong, Hales."

Haley smiled. "But it's effective."

"I guess it is." He mumbled on his way to retrieve his shoes.

"And don't forget your coat, too," she called from the living room.

"Yeah, yeah."


	3. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

**Music, Mood, and Mistletoe  
Chapter 3** - _I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm_

Haley watched from the sofa as Nathan refueled the fire. It was still amazing to her how far they had come over the past thirteen years.

They'd started out as completely misunderstood, uninterested sixteen year olds. Hatred had thrown them into a complex and anything but innocent relationship. Nathan had his motives. She had hers. But somewhere along the way, those motives and intentions had disappeared. Respect had emerged between them, followed not much later by care and adoration. Then want, need, and desire had taken over. It was a cycle that so many before them had endured, but they had made it special and unique. Their unexpected relationship had quickly escalated into the type of love that some people long for their entire lives. To them it had seemed nothing short of natural to get married. It didn't matter that they were sixteen or still in high school. They had love and that's all they needed.

"What are you thinking about?" He sat down next to his wife, pulling her into his embrace.

Haley snuggled into his arms. She loved the way his body fit with hers and how simple it was to always find the perfect place in them. Every time it reminded her just how well they fit together and how much she belonged there, with him. "About all the years we've had together." She felt Nathan pull her closer. She couldn't see his face, but it didn't matter. She knew what it looked like. He was smiling, not the cocky, arrogant smirk he had perfected over the years. But the honest, genuine, joyful smile that she had seen on the day they'd married, the day each of their children had been born. She'd cemented in her mind all those times and she was seeing it there now as well. "Do you remember our first Christmas?"

"How could I not? It was horrible."

"It wasn't horrible. It was different and a bit complicated, but not horrible."

"You can make it all pretty in your head now, but it was horrible then. And if it was happening now, it would still be horrible."

"You're such a pessimist."

"I'm realistic, Hales. Just think about it. Our car was broken. I'd messed up my ankle, causing me to miss the game against Cove City, which we lost. Dad had gotten tired of my never-ending tardiness and fired me from the shop. You're grades had gone downhill because you had to pick up more hours at the cafe. Oh, and let's not forget the fact that we had no money to pay the electric bill that month, not to mention presents. It was a disaster." Haley laughed.

"Well if you put it that way..."

"It was the worst Christmas ever."

"Now, that's not true." She replied seriously. "If I recall, we had a pretty great Christmas, even if it was a little cold in the apartment. Brooke got you a job at the restaurant she was working at. You're ankle was back to normal by the time practice started back up in January. Jake and Lucas helped you fix the car. Karen gave me a raise, which meant I worked less shifts and got my grades back up to normal the falling semester. And Peyton's dad gave us the money to pay our bills. We only went one night without electricity It all worked out Nathan. There were so many people there to help us. Besides, you were much more optimistic back then."

"How so?"

"When I started crying about the Electric bill and rambling about all the problems it would cause, you said that all you needed was my love to keep you warm." Nathan groaned. "What?"

"I can't believe I said something that cheesy."

"It wasn't cheesy, doofus. It was romantic and it made me feel better. If you said stuff like that more often, maybe you'd get a little extra lovin'." He laughed. "I know. That was cheesy."

"Just a little." Haley could see the smile on his face once again.

"You know what we should do?" She jumped from the couch with excitement.

"Give me my Christmas present?" He suggested optimistically.

"No. Come with me." Haley reached for her husband's hand and pulled him from the couch.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." She smiled at him and started down the hall.


End file.
